Organ combination action



Oct. 19, 1965 R. A. CLAUSON ORGAN COMBINATION ACTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed April 17, 1963 INVENTOR. fPa/p/z A. 004/500 BY his af/omeys Oct.19, 1965 R. A. cLAusoN ORGAN COMBINATION ACTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledApril 17, 1965 INVENTOR. fia/ph A. 6/04/50/7 BY h/s af/omeys UnitedStates Patent Ofiice 3,213,179 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 3,213,179 ORGANCOMBINATION ACTION Ralph A. Clauson, 244 Lawrence Ave., Staten Island, N.Y. Filed Apr. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 273,747 18 Claims. (Cl. 841.03)

This invention relates to voice controls for pipe and electric organs.More particularly, it relates to combination actions for controllingorgan voices in various combinations to obtain different musicaleffects.

Organ consoles normally have a plurality of switches, more commonlyreferred to as stop tablets or stop knobs, for controlling individualorgan voices. Each stop tablet controls one organ voice, and may beoperated manually or electromagnetically.

In most modern organ consoles, the organist can bring a group orcombination of these stop tablets on or off by the operation of a singlepush button known as a piston. These pistons are usually located in theslip of wood which separates one keyboard from another. Many organs havetwelve of these pistons, but some have more and some less. Each pistonmay be set in advance of the performance or service to bring on adifferent combination of stop tablets. This is done in some organs bymanipulating the piston and then operating to on position the stopswhich it is desired to bring on when that piston is operated. In somecases, the setting is completed by actuating a third or capture button.Thus, whenever during the performance that piston is operated, thecombination of voices for which it is set will be put on. For example,with four organ voices and four pistons, each piston may be set to bringon a difi erent combination as follows:

Piston Number Stop Tablets On Off On Off On On Oil Oil On On Ofi OffDiapason 011 Oil Oil On Many more combinations are possible.

The mechanism for turning on a desired combination of stop tablets, allothers being simultaneously turned off, is called 'a combination action.Prior art combination actions rely on large numbers of electricalcontacts, electromagnets and electrical contrivances which often provetroublesome. In addition, prior art combination actions for large organsrequire a large amount of space remote from the organ console. Becauseof current building costs and space limitations in new structures aswell as space limitations in existing structures, space is both aphysical and financial problem.

Furthermore, because prior art combination actions require extensivemanual manipulations by the organist to set desired combinations of stoptablets, an organist playing a recital or service of five selections,for example, has to set the combinations he needs in advance. The timerequired to reset the combinations prohibits the resetting between eachnumber, especially in organs with many stop tablets. Moreover, becausecombinations cannot be easily changed during a concert or service, eachorgan must have enough pistons to carry all the combinations needed.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved combination organaction which takes up considerably less space than heretofore.

Another object is to provide a combination organ action capable ofhaving the combinations of stops associated with a piston changed soquickly that such change can be made during the performance betweenselections.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination actionhaving a closed electrical operating circuit, except for one contact ineach piston, thereby reducing maintenance requirements to a minimum andimproving reliability.

Another object is to provide means to change the combination of thestops associated with all of the various pistons simultaneously.

Another object is to provide for changing the combination of the stopsassociated with the various pistons according to a desired arrangementby selection and insertion of a single member, card or element intocontrol apparatus. A related object is to provide for choice of thecombinations of stops to be associated with the different pistons byvarying the configuration of the insertable element.

Another object is to provide apparatus into which differently punchedcards may be inserted to select the stops associated with the severalpistons in a combination organ action. A related object is to enablesuch selection by making selected punchings or openings in such cards.

The apparatus herein described is not limited to use in controllingorgan actions, but may be used to select and to control the combinationsof branch circuits energized or inactivated by operation of any of anumber of actuating members.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the invention is describedin connection with the drawings.

To accomplish its various objectives, the invention provides apunch-card holder containing a plurality of light sources one or more ofwhich are activated or deactivated by each piston or actuating memberwhen pushed or pulled. Light from these activated sources passes viafibre optic rods to a punched card in the holder.

This card has openings selectively punched in it through i which lightfrom selected fibre optic rods passes. Light passing through theseopenings is conducted through other fibre optic rods to photo-conductiveelements which serve to turn on or off the desired combination of organvoices. The photo-conductive elements are connected in closed electricalcircuits to operate the stop tablets. When light impinges upon theseelements, the stop tablets to which they are connected operates. Onesuch element is used to turn a given organ voice on and another to turnit off. Selection of voices for any desired combination is accomplishedby selectively punching openings in the punch card.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the holder, lightsources and photosensitive devices and punch card embodying theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway detail view of FIG. 1 taken on line 22 of FIG. 1showing some light paths through the punch card.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram as used in the invention showing means forturning a stop tablet on or off.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the piston circuit for energizing twolight sources with each piston switch.

Referring to the drawings, a punch card holder has a body of an opaquematerial. It is preferably a laminated structure comprising a back plate2, a front plate 3 separated by a spacer 4 inserted between the frontand back plates, the terms front and back being used for convenience andnot in a limiting sense. Separators 4 are of shape and thickness tocreate a slot 5 between the plates into which a punch card 6 may beslid. Slot 5 should be of a size which does not permit significantlateral or horizontal movement of punch card 6. Front and back plates 3and 2 have a plurality of openings 7 and 7' through them. These openingsare arranged in an array of horizontal rows and vertical columns. Onerow is provided for each piston of the organ action with which the unitis to be associated, and one column is provided for each on and each offposition of the organ stop tablets associated with the unit, openings 7in front plate 3 (FIG. 2) being in line with the openings 7 in backplate 2. For example, in a holder arranged for 12 pistons, each of whichcontrols 20 stop tablets, there would be 12 horizontal rows of 40openings each.

Attached to and extending perpendicularly from front plate 3 are twovertical opaque supporting plates 8, 8 for supporting groups of fibreoptic rods hereinafter described. These plates are attached at positionsnear the ends of the plate on either side of the area containingopenings 7. Each of the supporting plates 8, 3 has two columns 9, 9a ofrelatively large openings with sufficient vertical offset with respectto each other to ensure that the openings in each of said columns 9, 9aare substantially in the horizontal plane of a different horizontal rowof openings 7 in front plate 3.

To support the hereinafter described fibre optic rods on the oppositeside of the holder, an opaque supporting plate 10, containing aplurality of openings extending horizontally, is mounted perpendicularlyupon back plate 2 beneath the area containing openings 7. Relativelylarge openings are arranged in two rows 11, 110, the openings in one rowbeing offset from those in the other with each opening in substantiallythe vertical plane of a different column of openings 7 in back plate 2.

In order to conduct light in predetermined separate and individualconduits to the openings 7 in the front plate and from the openings 7 inthe back plate wherever there is a hole punched in the card, lightconduits preferably in the form of fibre optic rods 12 are provided.These conduits or rods may be formed of polymeric methacrylate estersfor example as sold under the trade names of Lucite or Plexiglas, orthey may be specially compounded glass, all of which have the propertyof conducting light along their length without appreciable lateral lossin transmission. In normal usage, these rods will be enclosed in a largeenclosure, organ housing or the like so that the problem of exteriorlight affecting the operation of the apparatus is avoided. The advantageof the polymeric methacrylate esters is that they can be easilysoftened, bent and molded when heated to temperatures of the order of100 C. The rods are equal in number to the openings 7. Preferably allthe rods in :one half of the top horizontal row are bent at right anglesin one direction and bunched into a group running parallel to the frontplate to the supporting plate 8 and thence through that opening incolumn 9 or 9a in the supporting plate which is coplanar with said toprow. The rods in the remaining openings in the rows directly below arelikewise bent and bunched and pass through their corresponding openingsin the columns 9 and 9a.

Likewise, in the other half of the front plate 3, fibre optic rods 12whose ends are inserted in the corresponding openings 7 thereof areoppositely bent and bunched and directed through the openings in columns9 and 9a of the opposite supporting plate 8.

In addition, opposite the underside of each opening in mounting piece isa photo-conductive cell 13 on which light may fall from any one or moreof the fibre optic rods in the opening. On or adjacent the outer face ofeach supporting plate 8, 8' opposite each opening in columns 9, 9a, alight source 14, such as a small electric lamp bulb, is supported tocast its beam upon the end of the bunch of rods in its opening. Twolight sources 14, 14' are required to light one horizontal row ofopenings 7 in front plate 3, one source being for each half row.However, it is within the scope of the invention to bunch all rods inone row and pass them through one opening and to use one light sourcefor such bunch. Preferably the lamps are each shielded or are incompartments 34 so as to allow light from one lamp to issue only towardthe end of one bunch of rods. Compartments 34 are shown in FIG. 2, butare omitted in FIG. 1 to simplify the view.

The opaque punch card 6 which is cut to fit into the slot 5, may containslugs 16 which are preferably prepunched to facilitate making openingsby removing one or more of these slugs, with the point of a pencil orsome other convenient tool.

In FIG. 1, prepunched slugs 16 are indicated by dark circles andopenings resulting from removal of slugs are indicated by light circles.The prcpunching of slugs is ordered so that there is a slug or hole inline with each of the registering openings 7, 7' in front and backplates 3 and 2 when the punch card rests in cavity 5.

In order for light from fibre optic rods 12 passing through the openingsin the punched card 6 to be transmitted to hereinafter described organcontrol apparatus, a second array of fibre optic rods 12F is provided onthe opposite side of the card holder. The ends of the rods 12F of thissecond array are inserted in the openings 7' of the back plate 2 andextend outwardly from the back plate and are bent at right anglesdownwardly parallel to the back plate. Extending at right angles fromand secured to the back plate is a horizontal supporting plate 10 havingtwo row 11, 11A of relatively large holes therein receiving bunches ofthe lower ends of the rods. The holes of row 11 are offset from those ofrow 111A with the holes in row 11 substantially in the vertical planesof alternate or even numbered vertical columns of holes 7 in the backplate and vice versa as to row 11A and odd-numbered vertical columns ofholes 7'.

Beneath each hole in the rows 11 and 11A under the supporting plate 10is fixedly attached a photo-conductive cell 13, as shown in FIG. 2,which is connected as hereinafter described in an electric circuit tooperate a stop tablet.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show how the punch card 6 cooperates with the holder.Assuming that light is being fed into an opening 9 in supporting plate8, light from this opening is fed via rods 12 to half the openings 7 inone row. A light 14' at the opposite end of the holder feeds light viarods 12' to the other half of the openings in that row. Wherever slugs16 in that row of the punch card 6 have been removed, light will passthrough to rods 12F. Fibre optic rods 12F carry the light coming throughpunch card 6 to the photoconductive cell 13 for operating a stop tablet.In the sectioned edge of the card holder, the card is seen containingslugs 16 in some places and openings in others.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the card 6 is arranged so that each organvoice is assigned two columns of slugs 16, an on column 15 and an offcolumn 30. These columns are preferably adjacent one another so thattraversing the card from left to right, one meets a new organ voiceevery two columns and the organist may readily select the voices hedesires for a particular combination. By punching out a slug 16 ineither the on or off column for every voice in one row, the organistvery quickly and simply chooses the voice combination for a given pistonand just as readily the same can be done for all pistons.

Now referring to the circuit diagram of FIG. 4, each of the pistons,designated by letters and numbers P to P controls two light sources 14,14 at opposite ends of the holder, which illuminate a single row ofopenings 7, each source illuminating half the openings in the row viathe fibre optic rods as previously described. Each piston when pushed,causes a different row of openings 7 to be illuminated. FIG. 4 shows thecircuitry for the pistons. It comprises current source 18 connected inparallel with a plurality of branches 19. Each branch includes a pistonP, P and P for example, each individually connected in series with twolight sources 14, 14 connected in parallel with each other and with thesource 18. When any piston is pushed, the two light sources controlledby it light up and feed light to the fibre optic rods 12 whichindividually transmit the light to the openings 7 in one row.

In operation, the organist chooses the voice combinations he desires byselectively punching out the appropriate slugs 16 in each row in punchcard 6.

The punched card is then placed in slot 5. When a piston 17 is pushed,light is fed via rods 12, 12' to one row, but it passes through the cardonly where there are openings. Light passing through the selectedopenings is fed via fibre optic rods 12F to the photo-conductive devices13 which control the individual stop tablets as follows.

FIG. 3 shows the circuitry for electromagnetically operating a stoptablet. A low voltage alternating current source 20 is connected inparallel with the two branches 21. Each branch is a voltage dividercircuit having divisions 22 and 23. Each division 22 comprises a fixedcurrent limiting resistor 24 series-com nected to one of thephoto-conductive devices 13 which is, in turn, series-connected to asensitivity-control potentiometer 25 having an adjustable outputterminal 26. Each division 23 comprises an electromagnet coil 27series-connected to a silicon wntrolled rectifier 28 having a gateterminal 29 which is connected to the adjustable output terminal 26 ofthe potentiometer 25 in its associated division 22. The electromagnetcoils 27 are pictured in a schematic representation of a conventionalstop tablet device. One coil 27 moves the stop tablet to the onposition, the other to the off position. An overcenter coiledcompression spring 32 biases the amature 34 in its opposite positions. Amovable flexible leaf-spring contact 36 carried by the armature engages(in FIG. 3) or disengages a fixed leaf-spring contact 38 as the armaturetilts contact 36 clockwise.

In the circuit of FIG. 3 when a 22 V. AC. source is used, resistor 24may be approximately about 1 megohm, and potentiometer 25 about 1.5megohms. Photoconductive device 13 preferably has a resistance, when nolight impinges upon it, sufliciently high to restrict the flow ofcurrent through division 22 so that little or no voltage appears at thegate terminal 29 of silicon controlled rectifier 28. When light doesimpinge upon photo-conductive device 13, however, its resistancedecreases to the point where sufficient current flows in division 22 toapply a voltage on gate 29, making rectifier 28 conductive therebyallowing current to flow through the electromagnet coil 27 connected inseries with it. This, in turn, moves the stop tablet to the requiredposition. Adjustable output terminal 26 on potentiometer 25 allows thevoltage applied to gate terminal 29 of rectifier 28 to be varied so thatthe overall sensitivity of this circuit may be adjusted to differingconditions.

The description of this device thus far has directed its use to thecontrol of stop tablets or stop knobs on a pipe or electronic organconsole. It would appear, however, that in addition to this primeapplication, a considerable number of other fields of use are possible.The manufacturing of paint for example requires the addition of severaltinting pigments to a base pigment to produce a given color. If thegiven color, say green, was to be produced by the operation of a pushbutton, which might be compared to a piston, then the various tintingpigments required for the color green, similar to the desired organstops, would be punched on for push button 1. All tinting pigments notrequired to produce the color green would be punched 01f.

Similarly other colors might be produced on the remaining push buttons,each having assigned to them or punched on the tinting pigments requiredfor the final color desired.

Thus, this invention may be applied to many additional activities, viz.,the mixing of animal feeds, the

'6 control of alarm systems, the distribution of varied materials in amanufacturing plant, and other equivalent operations.

Many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore,the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described andillustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for controlling a combination organ action, comprising aplurality of organ voice control devices for activating or deactivatingvoices selectively, means including photo-electric devices operable toactuate said control devices between on and off positions and selectingmeans determining which of said photo-electric devices shall be operatedfor controlling selective activation and deactivation of predeterminedvoices.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means to actuate thecontrol devices includes a light source, a plurality of light conduitsfor individually conducting light from the light source, a plurality ofphoto-electric cells individually associated with each of said conduits,said selecting means controlling the light flow from said conduits tosaid cells.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said selecting means includesan interchangeable element which is transparent in selected places topermit passage of light to selected photo-electric cells for activatingand de activating selected voices.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said selecting means includesa holder adapted to receive said interchangeable element, said elementbeing a card perforated in selected places to permit passage of light tothe selected photo-electric cells.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the holder is perforated, thelight conduits connect with the holder perforations, and the selectedperforations in the card register with selected holder perforations.

6. Apparatus for controlling a combination organ action comprising aplurality of organ stops for activating organ voices individually, aplurality of pistons each operable to operate selected combinations oforgan stops and activate the voices controlled by the selected stops,plural light source means, a plurality of photo-electric cells, meanspredetermining said combinations of stops, and means responsive to theoperation of each piston to energize certain light means andphoto-electric cells to operate a selected combination of stops.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein thecombination-predetermining means comprises a perforated elementcontrolling action of said light source means on said photo-electriccells.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which the perforated element is acard, a holder adapted to receive cards perforated for selective passageof light and resultant actuation of different combinations of stops,said holder and card having their perforations in register.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein thecombination-predetermining means comprises a perforated elementcontrolling action of said light source means on said photo-electriccells, and light conduits from said light source means to saidcombination-predetermining means and from the latter to saidphoto-electric cells.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which saidcombination-predetermining means is perforated in rows and columns withthe conduits from the light means leading to the one while from theother the conduits lead to said photo-electric devices.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which saidcombination-predetermining means is perforated in rows and columns withthe conduits from a row being bunched and fed by one light source, whilethe conduits from a column being bunched and feeding one photo-electriccell, whereby one light source feeds light to the combinationrepresented by one row as one piston is operated, while another lightsource feeds light to the combination represented by another row asanother piston is operated.

12. Apparatus for controlling a combination organ action comprising aplurality of organ stops for activating organ voices individually,electromagnetic means to move said stops between on and off positions, aplurality of pistons each operable to energize the electromagnetic meansof selected combinations of stops and activate the voices controlled bythe selected stops, means connecting the electromagnetic means for eachstop in a voltage divider circuit, a photo-electric cell in each of saidcircuits permitting increased current flow when illuminated, means tocause operation of the electromagnetic means in a given voltage dividercircuit when the photo-cell in that circuit is illuminated, a pluralityof light sources selectively energizable by said pistons, meanspredetermining the combination of stops to be operated by illuminationof said selected lights in accordance with a desired selection.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 having means to energizepredetermined light source means, electromagnetic means to operate eachstop, a voltage divider circuit in which each electromagnetic means anda photocell are connected, and means causing operation of saidelectromagnetic means when said photo-cell is illuminated.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein thecombinationpredetermining means comprises a perforated elementcontrolling action of said light source means on said photo-electriccells.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 having light conduits from saidlight source means to said combinationpredetermining means and from thelatter to said photoelectric cells.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 in which saidcombination-predetermining means is perforated in rows and columns withthe conduits from a row being bunched and fed by one light source, whilethe conduits from a column being bunched and feeding one photo-electriccell, whereby one light source feeds light to the combinationrepresented by one row as one piston is operated, while another lightsource feeds light to the combination represented by another row asanother piston is operated.

17. Control apparatus comprising a holder having a pair of parallelplates, said plates having registering perforations, a removableselector element between said plates perforated at certain places inregister with selected plate perforations, a plurality of light conduitmeans connected to some perforations in one of said plates, otherpluralities of light conduit means connected to other perforations insaid one plate, separate light source means adapted to feed light intosaid first and other pluralities of light conduit means respectively, aplurality of light conduit means connected to some perforations of thesecond of said plates, other pluralities of light conduit meansconnected to other perforations in said second plate, separatephoto-electric cells connected to said pluralities of light conduitmeans of said second plate respectively, both the first and otherpluralities of light conduit means of said one plate being arranged tofeed light to both the first and other pluralities of light conduitmeans of the second plate as permitted by said selector element, wherebyillumination of a selected light source means will energize selectedphotoelectric cells as determined by said selector element perforations.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the perforations in saidplates are arranged in rows and columns, the light source means of oneplate being connected to the rows, and the light source means of thesecond plate being connected to the columns, and the light conductiveconduits are made of a polymeric methacrylate ester.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,799,781 7/57Joyce et al. 2502l4 3,065,356 11/62 Blake et al. 250-2l9 3,143,729 8/64Power 307-885 XR 3,172,939 3/65 Campbell et al. 84-1.03 3,177,470 4/65Galopin.

ARTHUR GAUSS, Primary Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A COMBINATION ORGAN ACTION, COMPRISING APLURALITY OF ORGAN VOICE CONTROL DEVICES FOR ACTIVATING OR DEACTIVATINGVOICES SELECTIVELY, MEANS INCLUDING PHOTO-ELECTRIC DEVICES OPERABLE TOACTUATE SAID CONTROL DEVICES BETWEEN ON AND OFF POSITIONS AND SELECTINGMEANS DETERMINING WHICH OF SAID PHOTO-ELECTRIC DEVICES SHALL BE OPERATEDFOR CONTROLLING SELECTIVE ACTIVATION AND DEACTIVATION OF PREDETERMINEDVOICES.